Lancashire mediation charity Smile Mediation is on course to double i

Burnley-based social enterprise and registered charity, Smile Mediation, is on-course to double its volunteer base as it continues expanding its services across the UK.

The organisation, which was originally established in 1998, provides a range of low-cost services to help people of all ages and backgrounds prevent, manage and resolve conflict, in communities, neighbourhoods, families and workplaces or at home. Its services are delivered by fully-trained volunteer mediators.

Over the past three years, the charity has gained 20 new mediators and is currently in the process of training 12 more following its merger with community safety organisation Resolve ASB in 2023.

The merger quickly triggered a period of rapid growth for the organisation, and to help prepare her to support this expansion, Sarah Griffin, head of operations and business development, joined Two Zero’s Women Scaling Up programme, designed to support female scaleup business leaders in Lancashire.

Two Zero is Lancashire County Council’s scaleup support service and is designed to help and inspire businesses to grow their business 20 per cent per year, creating jobs and growing the Lancashire economy.

Women Scaling Up was a year-long business support programme, designed to address the unique challenges and barriers faced by female business leaders through masterclasses, peer groups and other support.

Sarah joined the programme in June 2023, shortly after joining Smile Mediation.

Sarah said: “Being part of a likeminded group, all in business leadership positions, opened my eyes to the fact that many other women were facing similar challenges. By regularly sharing our experiences and learnings during the peer-to-peer sessions, we naturally became mentors to one another.

“The Women Scaling Up programme has massively improved my confidence as a leader and one key area I focused on during the programme was overcoming my nervousness around public speaking, which is an important part of my leadership role.”

Sarah joined Smile Mediation in November 2022 as head of operations and business development after previously working as homeless services lead for a local charity for over 16 years.

Her appointment was closely followed by Smile Mediation’s merger with Resolve ASB, as well as the departure of Smile Mediation’s CEO.

The programme was delivered by Two Zero in partnership with Role, a Lancashire business growth consultancy with decades of female specific support experience.

Through the programme, 12 Lancashire based female business leaders on the cohort worked with experienced executive coaches in group workshops around key business leadership topics, as well as one-to-one mentoring sessions.

Speaking about the programme, Sarah added: “The group sessions offered a supportive environment where I felt encouraged to step outside my comfort zone and specifically, using visualisation as a tool to manage nerves is a technique I still draw upon when speaking at conferences or addressing large groups.”

The programme also helped participants to review their business growth strategies and a key part of Smile Mediation’s growth has been through expanding its offering across England.

Sarah added: “When I first joined the organisation, our services were predominantly based in the North West and in just two years, we now have substantial contracts with a range of organisations across England and a much larger team based across the UK including Northern Ireland and even in Spain and Sweden delivering our services virtually.

“The help and support offered to me during and after the Women Scaling Up programme by Wendy, Katy and the other 11 women on the programme has been invaluable and I look forward to continuing growing the organisation into more new areas in the months and years ahead.”

To facilitate its continued growth, the organisation was granted funding last year to appoint a mediator wellbeing facilitator as well as an office-based apprentice and it is also looking at funding options in the hope of hiring another apprentice this year.

Amin Vepari, business finance and scaleup lead, Lancashire County Council said: “It’s always inspiring to see Lancashire-headquartered businesses scaling up and expanding their services across the UK.

“Smile Mediation has undergone several key changes over recent years, including a merger, which have helped position it for growth. Under Sarah’s guidance, and with support from Lancashire County Council, it is now going from strength to strength and I’m excited to see the organisation fulfil its continued growth ambitions over the coming years.”

For more information about Two Zero, businesses should visit: twozerolancs.com.